


Coming Out of the Dark

by Giraffic_Park



Series: Darkness and Light [3]
Category: Iron Man (Movies), Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Aged-Up Peter Parker, Angst, M/M, POV Third Person Limited, Peter Parker being a Mature Adult, Peter Parker standing up for himself, first date doesn't go very well
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-10
Updated: 2019-09-10
Packaged: 2020-10-14 04:10:40
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,645
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20594489
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Giraffic_Park/pseuds/Giraffic_Park
Summary: Tony asks Peter out, but it doesn't really go all that well.This is a bit of a transition from the previous bits - and maybe Tony's growing a little. (Just a little.)





	Coming Out of the Dark

"Wait," Ned interrupted as Peter dropped from the ceiling, "you told off Tony Stark?"

"Well, not really. I told him to stop being an asshole to me because of his own problems." Peter pulled the mask off his head. He grinned with the next bit, "Then I told him to ask me out."

Ned blinked and his mouth dropped open. "Like, on a date?"

"Yeah."

"Seriously? Isn't he like eighty?"

Peter's eyebrows shot up. "No-" he said, maybe a little offended on Mr. Stark's behalf. "Like, fifty, I think."

"That makes him like old enough to be your dad. And my dad."

"Yeah. But he's not. Look, Ned, it's cool. He's never going to ask me."

"Oh. Well, that's cool then."

* * *

"Oh shit! No way! He asked you?" Ned spluttered.

Peter nodded. "Yeah. He called me last night and asked me to dinner." Peter had all but fainted when that had happened. He had been absolutely certain that Mr. Stark would never ask him on a date.

"Do you think it's real?" Ned asked. When Peter gave him an offended look, Ned added, "I mean, like asking for real and not just because you challenged him?"

"Oh." Peter shrugged. "I - well - I don't know." His heart sank a little. If Mr. Stark was only asking because Peter had issued a challenge, this wasn't going to be a very fun date. And, it meant Mr. Stark hadn't learned anything.

"I'm sorry, Peter. I didn't mean to rain..."

"Don't worry about it." He sighed, then straightened his back. "This way, I can go in prepared for 'asshole'."

* * *

Peter was a little annoyed that Mr. Stark had sent over a suit for him to wear. He didn't need a billionaire playboy buying him things. Then he'd looked up the place Mr. Stark was taking him for dinner and decided the playboy's gift was a good idea after all.

He slipped into the Spider-Man suit before the more traditional one. He wanted to be prepared, but also wanted an escape route if necessary. And, maybe he wanted an extra layer of protection - to keep himself in check. His aim was to _not_ fuck Tony Stark tonight.

The car that pulled up out front was sleek and black. And empty. One of the Stark driver-less vehicles. Peter's hope of a normal date all but disappeared. The guy couldn't even be bothered to pick him up normally.

"We have arrived, Mr. Parker," a computerized voice announced when the car pulled up in front of an unassuming little neighborhood-style location.

"Thanks, FRIDAY," he said and stepped out of the car. No Mr. Stark here either. Peter's disappointment was growing by the second. Nothing like being stood up by an Avenger and stranded without a ride. He was glad he'd worn the suit under the suit.

There was one tiny flash of hope left in him. He entered the restaurant and approached the host - or _maître d'_ \- he was never sure what to call them.

"Ah, good evening, Mr. Parker. I was asked to give you this," the man behind the host stand said and presented Peter with a folded card.

Peter looked at the host, then the card, then back to the host. "Um, is it all right if I sit at the bar?"

"Of course, sir." The host waved him in that direction.

Peter took a couple steps so he was out of the way. He stared at the card in his hand and felt his chest tighten. He didn't want to read it. He didn't want to get dumped before the first date even happened. It would be humiliating.

He took a deep breath, steeling himself, and opened the card:

> Running late. Sorry. Wait for me. - Tony

Peter blinked at the card. Read it four more times, then tucked it into the pocket of his jacket. Heart a bit less heavy now, he found an empty seat at the bar and ordered a Coke.

They were supposed to meet at seven. Peter had gotten there a little early, so quarter after wasn't too bad. And Mr. Stark's note hadn't said how late he'd be.

Peter pulled out his phone and saw a couple texts from Ned asking about the date. He didn't want to respond yet. He'd wait a bit. Keep Ned in suspense - especially since there wasn't anything to talk about yet. He played a game for a while, until the bartender asked if he wanted a refill. Peter nodded and checked the time again - ten of eight.

His heart sank again. He waved off the bartender and slid off the stool. He would go home and forget this shitty night had ever happened.

On his way out, he loosened his tie and undid a couple buttons on his shirt. He started walking, not really feeling up to being Spider-Man tonight. He was a good way from home, but there was a train not far from where he was. He'd go home, find something for dinner, and go to bed. Fuck Tony Stark.

* * *

Tony landed in the darkness along the side of the building and let the suit retract. He stepped out of the shadows looking suave as ever and entered the restaurant to meet Peter. He knew he was late. Maybe really late. But he'd asked Peter to wait for him.

However, Peter wasn't there. Tony peeked into the bar and the seating area. Nothing. The _maître d'_ approached and Tony asked if he'd seen Peter.

"Yes, sir. He left here a bit forlorn about an hour ago, sir." The _maître d'_ didn't look particularly impressed with Tony Stark standing up his date.

"Thanks," Tony said and tipped the man generously in an effort to improve his opinion.

"He was heading for the subway, sir."

Tony nodded and left the restaurant. He usually wasn't quite this terrible at dates. Okay, maybe he kind of was, but he never did it on purpose. He hadn't this time either.

He tried to call Peter while he was waiting for his car, but the kid wasn't answering. He sent an apologetic text with a request to explain. But Peter hadn't responded by the time Tony's car pulled up.

The debate in his head waged for about ten seconds. He was going to see Peter. He needed to clear this up. He had a completely valid reason for being late. And for not being able to leave more than the note.

Tony got out of the car and climbed to Peter's apartment - the one he still shared with his Aunt May. He felt ridiculous, but this was what he needed to do. He lifted his hand to knock, but heard his name before he could make contact with the door.

He turned to find the person he was looking for. "Hi, Pete."

"Wh-what - um what are you doing here?"

Tony half smiled to himself. It was the same thing Peter had said the first time they'd met. "I came to apologize. And to explain."

Peter's face went dark. "Don't bother."

"Hang on. You're not even going to give me a chance to tell you what happened?"

"I don't need to." Peter shrugged. "It's just like anything else. Whatever you want is more important. I get it. No need to explain."

Tony frowned. While sometimes that might be true, it wasn't this time. He called up a video on his phone and played it for Peter.

"So, that's the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. They just had a baby. And that's me dropping off the Stark Industries nursery caddy - lord, that needs a better name. I'd been asked by the family to bring it by on the day." He glanced up at Peter, a look of disbelief on the kid's face. "I'm sorry, Pete. They asked me months ago. It was bad timing that they had the little tyke the day of our date. I tried to get back sooner, but there was a shitty headwind across the Atlantic." He waited expectantly for Peter's reaction.

"You know, in the real world, this kind of shit doesn't happen," Peter said flatly.

Tony gave him an incredulous look and waved his phone. "This is the real world." A pause. "I didn't stand you up, kid. I tried to get back in time."

"Is there a reason you couldn't have called me?"

Tony wanted to kick himself. "The comms system in the suit went down." He had hit Murphy's Law square in the balls today.

"So how'd you leave the note?"

"Dropped it off before I crossed the pond, just in case. I would've taken it back if I'd gotten there first."

Peter dropped his head and gave it a shake. "You really are the most insufferable asshole, you know that?"

Tony didn't know what to say to that. He felt shitty for being late and disappointing Peter. He'd really been looking forward to this. And he'd fucked it up. Self-pity wasn't really his thing. And definitely not something he put on display, but he couldn't find a way to be okay about this.

When Peter didn't say anything else and wouldn't look at him, Tony put his phone away and turned to go. He'd make sure the kid was set up with a good couple internship options and that he could go wherever he wanted for college. And he'd go back to jerking off in his lonely office and pretending sparring with Rhodey was enough.

"Mr. Stark? Where are you going?" he heard Peter's quiet voice behind him.

Tony turned around. "I was just gonna - you seemed kinda - I thought you wanted me to go." He was usually more articulate than that, but his cocky - everything - had failed him this time.

Peter blinked at him. "Did you really promise the Royal Family you'd bring a baby present?"

Tony nodded. "Ask Pepper." His hands were sweaty in his pockets, but he didn't take them out because they were also shaking. Nerves were never his thing either. Damn this kid.

"Can we just get a pizza and sit on a roof?" Peter asked.

"Sure. Pick a roof and text it to me. I'll get the pie." Before he turned to head out, he said, "And Peter, that suit looks fucking amazing on you." He watched the kid's face brighten at the compliment. Tony still had it.

* * *

Peter still thought Mr. Stark was half full of shit about the reason he had been late. But, he'd asked Happy (he wasn't comfortable talking to Pepper) and he'd confirmed the royal baby gift. That made him feel a little better.

And Mr. Stark had looked pretty upset about ruining their date. Peter'd never seen him look so defeated before. He'd almost seemed willing to just give up. It was definitely a change from some of their other discussions.

Peter found a nice rooftop with a ledge and a view of the park. He sent the address to Mr. Stark and sat down to wait.

It wasn't long before he heard the familiar sound of thrusters approaching. He watched Iron Man land with a pizza box balanced on his hand. The suit retracted and melted away in a manner Peter never got tired of watching.

Mr. Stark sat beside him and opened the box. The smell of hot bread, tomato and cheese was heavenly. He tugged a slice free and folded it to take a bite. He sighed happily. "This from that place-"

"Yup," Mr. Stark confirmed.

Peter smiled. Then he reached down to a little bucket of ice and plucked a soda free. He handed the first one to his dinner companion, then got another for himself.

"Am I forgiven?" Mr. Stark asked.

"We'll see," Peter said around a bit of pizza.

It was quiet except for the soft sounds of them eating and slurping cola from the cans. Peter looked out over the park. The city. He liked looking at it from up here. It was calm and quiet usually.

Mr. Stark broke the silence. "You sit on rooftops a lot?"

Peter nodded. "Yeah. I can see a lot. And it's removed enough from the noise that I can concentrate."

"Anyone ever object?"

"To me being on a roof?" He shook his head. "Nah. Most people like Spider-Man. There was one guy who wasn't super thrilled. I dropped to the roof of this swanky Manhattan mansion while I was patrolling out near Columbia and the guy there was on the balcony and threatened to call the FBI. I told him I was Spider-Man, but he snorted and told me there was no such thing. He said it was a government cover-up for genetic testing or something."

Mr. Stark was laughing over his pizza. "The really nice place on Riverside on the corner?" he asked. "Charming black woman lives there."

Peter shrugged. "I only saw a bald man with glasses. I didn't stay long in case he really did call the FBI. But the rest is right."

"Go in the front door next time."

"No thanks." He licked grease off his fingers. "Mr. Stark, I need to ask you something. What exactly is going on here?" He'd been dreading this part, but he needed to know. It was too confusing otherwise.

Mr. Stark tossed a bit of pizza crust back into the box and dusted off his hands. Peter knew he was stalling. Maybe thinking. He let him. He could wait.

"It's our date. Not as fancy as my original plan, but it's still dinner," Mr. Stark responded.

Peter gave him a bit of a side-eye.

"I don't know, Pete," Mr. Stark admitted. It sounded honest. Real. "I'm - I guess I'm trying to fix this."

"What are you fixing?"

He shrugged. "Us, maybe?" He looked at Peter, then away again. "This is not an area where I excel. I told you that the thing in the lab scared me. I wasn't kidding. I was only vaguely aware of what was going on. But the one thing I did know was that I _wanted_ to do all those things."

That hadn't really been what Peter was asking, but it was good information. "So, what are you saying?"

Mr. Stark was quiet for a bit. Peter waited him out again. Finally, he said, "I guess what I'm trying to say is that I like you."

"So this was a real date?" It had been bothering him since Ned had mentioned it.

Mr. Stark didn't even look surprised when he faced Peter. "It was supposed to be. You thought I only asked you out because you told me to?"

"That was one of the proposed theories." Peter moved the pizza box and shifted closer to Mr. Stark. "If anything about this doesn't feel right to you, tell me now. Don't try to fake it. You'll only resent me and hate yourself later. And," he said, resting a hand on Mr. Stark's arm, "if it helps, I'm not asking you to be my boyfriend. Not if you don't want to be."

The look he got from Mr. Stark was one of genuine confusion. "Are you telling me you want to be a booty call?"

"I think they call them friends with benefits now. But if that's more your speed, we can work something out. But, we can also just be friends who geek out over cool science stuff." He shrugged. "The only thing I've ever asked for from you is to be your friend. Even if you are psychologically my junior."

Mr. Stark shoved Peter's shoulder. "Funny." He was quiet a second, then, "I'll consider your offer, but there's one thing."

"Sure."

"My dick's been in your ass - call me Tony."

Peter pulled a face and slugged Tony in the arm. "Asshole."

"No. Tony."

"Pretty sure I had it right." Then he leaned his head on Tony's shoulder to look out over the city.


End file.
